Football-field sized asteroid `2021 AF8` nears Earth, likely to pass by May 4

An Asteroid named 2021 AF8 is heading towards earth with a velocity of approximately 9 Km per second. This asteroid is an Apollo-class asteroid that means its orbit will cross earth's orbit.

NASA JPL has classified 2021 AF8 as a "Potentially Hazardous Asteroid" due to its predicted close pass with Earth and have been closely watching its trajectory.

This asteroid has scientists worried as its diameter is about 328 meters which is approximately the size of a football field. Although 2021 AF8 is much tinier than the large asteroids that have passed by the Earth but it has become subject of grave concern as it will cross the orbit of the earth.

The US Space Agency said that this Asteroid AF8 is much smaller than other large asteroids that have passed by the Earth in space, but it is still very dangerous.

Scientists are keeping an eye on the asteroid and stating that it will pass the earth by May 4.

The approach of asteroids and crossing the Earth’s orbit is not new. There are 13,999 Apollo class asteroids accounting for just 1.3% of the total amount in space.

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